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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26018638">Promise</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinoka/pseuds/sinoka'>sinoka</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>DimiClaude Birthday Week 2020 [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:54:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,296</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26018638</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinoka/pseuds/sinoka</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Day 6 of dmclbdayweek on twitter: Dimitri, desperate to propose, finds himself without the rings. Guess he'll have to make do.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>DimiClaude Birthday Week 2020 [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1881592</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Promise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dimitri is doing his best to be a good leader. Dimitri is doing his best to move on from his bloodthirsty beastly days. Dimitri is doing his best to walk <em> away </em> from the armoury and resist his inner voice’s call to take up Areadbhar and skewer the filth he’d entrusted with collecting the ring for Claude. One job that fool had been given, one <em> simple </em> task of ‘pick up this very important betrothal ring for my beloved and do not drop or lose it.’</p><p> </p><p>And then he’d dropped it.</p><p> </p><p>And lost it.</p><p> </p><p>In <em> freezing rapids</em>.</p><p> </p><p>He wanted to release all his frustration, painful and terrible and preferably on that idiot, but Dedue had stepped in with a disappointed look and the words ‘we do not murder people over accidents, your Highness.’</p><p> </p><p>“Well maybe we <em> should</em>.” He grumbled, without any bite. It truly had been an accident, the man in tears before his king as he explained. It didn’t make Dimitri any less angry at present but he was sure he’d forgive the fool later - only after letting him stew in his own worry, a move so mean and petty that Dimitri could only have learned it from Felix.</p><p> </p><p>In the meantime, leaving the man and letting him worry gave Dimitri what was hopefully enough time to plan what he could do for Claude when he arrived. The scene would be imperfect with the loss of the ring, but the atmosphere should be lovely enough, perhaps more than perfect since Dedue had prepared the food. And certainly time could wait for Dimitri to propose; time could wait for a replacement ring to be procured and allow Claude’s visit tonight to simply be a ‘welcome back’ dinner after so long - three days - away.</p><p> </p><p>Time could wait. Dimitri could not. Dimitri could not wait to call Claude his husband. Dimitri could not wait for their friends to see them wed and watch them kiss in joy for so long that Hilda would surely tease them from her seat. Dimitri could not wait to be married to the love of his life, publicly, so Faerghus officials and foreign leaders, fathers, would stop pushing him towards young women who he was sure were fine people, but of no interest to someone who had found his other half.</p><p> </p><p>The familiar, cheerful cry of a certain wyvern traveled through the air and Dimitri’s head snapped back to the sight of Claude and his mount flying towards him. Dimitri’s smile was wide, stretching his face to the point that his injured eye started to sting, it didn’t come close to being as large as Claude’s smile; Claude’s grin was all teeth, so big his beautiful eyes were narrowed and let Dimitri see only a sliver of the trademark mischievous twinkle in them.</p><p> </p><p>No more time to plan then, no chance for his mind to save the evening plans he felt had failed, no chance to think when suddenly all his thoughts were of Claude and why he was standing up in his saddle.</p><p> </p><p>Oh. He'd jumped. Dimitri's arms flew up with a force that knocked over a flower pot somewhere to the left and ruffled Claude's cape as he kept falling, stretching out his own arms so they were embracing one another the second they made contact.</p><p> </p><p>Dimitri had a scolding on the tip of his tongue, a lecture so exasperated he could feel Seteth's spirit lay a hand on his shoulder in worried solidarity, but Claude kissed him and it had been so long - three days - without him that Dimitri swallowed his words and focused on holding him closer, relaxing into the soft lips and the warmth of Claude being back at his side.</p><p> </p><p>They parted. Dimitri's lips, cruelly exposed to the now freezing air of Faerghus, breathed out a reprimanding 'reckless' that Claude laughed off. He told his wyvern to head to the stables with a reminder that <em> these </em> horses were friends and not food, then he dragged Dimitri inside to the warmer backdrop and kissed him again. The cold on his lips was melted, the things inside the room burned out of existence and in that moment Dimitri was not in the Faerghus castle but in a smaller room, in a house far away, resting his head in Claude's lap before a crackling hearth. Perfect.</p><p> </p><p>Claude pulled away again, his face was flushed, he was smiling softly and his head tilted away from Dimitri's blind spot, staring into his eye with such a loving expression that the king could do nothing but sink to his knees to stare up at him. He resisted the urge to bow his head, took Claude's hand in his and said everything good he'd ever felt about the man before him.</p><p> </p><p>It took… a while.</p><p> </p><p>"Claude, I have nothing but regret for the fact that I am without a ring now, I do not experience <em> living </em> my life without you in it. It is often Faerghus tradition to lay down your life for the person valued above all and I would surely be willing to die for you if the need should arise." Claude frowned. He was still flustered from the praise and affection Dimitri had lavished him with, a blush stubbornly coating his cheeks, but the embarrassed smile was gone, the awkward way he bit his lip was gone and soon his hand would be gone from Dimitri's grasp to reach out to him. No need.</p><p> </p><p>"But," Claude held still, listening, "I would rather live for you, <em> with </em> you. So, if you would take me as yours, I will protect us both from anything. This, I promise."</p><p> </p><p>Claude did not speak, for what felt like an eternity, but slowly sank to his knees and threw his arms around Dimitri's shoulders. "I do."</p><p> </p><p>"Claude?"</p><p> </p><p>"You said you didn't have a ring now, but I do." Claude cut off the embrace and sat back on his knees, fumbling around in his pockets while Dimitri kept him steady with a hold on his hips. "Aha!" He produced a small wooden box, threw away the lid and held up the cloth from inside. It held two rings: one gold band with a small deer made of sapphire, adorned with small gold antlers and hooves; one other with an engraved golden lion that had blue accents in its eyes and mane.</p><p> </p><p>They were stunning, and the blue deer ring looked like it would fit him perfectly.</p><p> </p><p>"I have to say, Dimitri, if you're out here trying to ruin my reputation as a master planner then you're doing well." He tilted his head back, dramatically throwing an arm across his forehead. "And I thought I'd concocted such an excellent plan too!"</p><p> </p><p>Dimitri wanted to assuage the notion that he would knowingly ruin anything for Claude but found himself still too stunned - generally the side effect from being presented with <em> stunning </em> items. Claude wanted to marry him. Claude wanted to <em> marry </em> him.</p><p> </p><p>Dimitri was careful to set the rings aside and take one slow, deep breath to restrain his strength, but nothing else. He threw his arms around Claude, stopping his dramatic posturing and holding him tight to his chest so he might hear just how intense Dimitri's heartbeat was.</p><p> </p><p>"I love you. I love you."</p><p> </p><p>"Di-mi-tri, as much as I love your chest, hah, I'm ki-nda struggling to breathe here."</p><p> </p><p>"Oh, my apologies!" The second Dimitri's grip loosened, Claude took in his fill of air and laughed, soft and sweet, medicine to Dimitri's ears after his desperate gasps.</p><p> </p><p>He continued to laugh even as he placed his forehead on Dimitri's and murmured, "I love you too."</p><p> </p><p>The problem of 'Claude being crushed with no air against his fiance's chest because he's incredibly strong and super fond of hugs' was immediately repeated.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i wanted to do something dramatic and romantic for the proposal bc..... it's <i>Dimitri</i> but i really only have one weird confession i got as reference sooooooooo......</p><p>thank you for reading! feedback is, as always, appreciated!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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